schneider



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(No Model.)

H. SCHNEIDER. l HYDRAULIC BRAKE FOR GHBGKING AND GONTROLLING THE REGOIL0F ORDNANGE.

j l Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

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H. SCHNEIDER. HYDRAULIC BRAKE PoR GHEGKING AND GONTROLLING THE RBooIL 0FORDNANGE.

Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OEFIcE.

HENRI SCHNEIDER, oF LE oREUso'r, sAoNEET-.Lomn FRANCE,

HYDRAULIC BRAKE FOR Cl-IECKINGAND CONTRO'LLING THE lil-:COIL` 0FORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,569, dated November19, 1889. A Applicationjled February 20, 1889. Serial No. 300,618. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI SCHNEIDER,

manager of the firm Schneider & Cie., of LeI Creusot, (Sane-et-Loire,)in the Republic of France, have invented Improvements in HydraulicBrakes for Checking or Controlling the Recoil of Ordnance, of which thefollowing is a specification,

This invention relates to a hydraulic brake enabling the rate of recoilof ordnance to be checked or controlled in accordance withclearly-defined laws, whereby the strain upon the mount-ing is reducedto a minimum. The principle upon which the constructionv of this brakeis based is as follows: A given quantity of liquid contained in achamber is compressed by the recoil resulting from the discharge of thegun and escapes through a number of orilices, which are closed one afterthe other by the movement of the recoil. The forced escape of liquidthrough these orifices, which gradually diminish in number, opposes tothe movement of the gun a resistance proportionate to the speed ofrecoil, the said resistance being dependent on the number and area ofthe orifices.

Figure l is a sectionalviews of one form lof my improved hydraulic brakefor checking the recoil of ordnance. Fig. 2 is a\similar view of anotherform; and' Figs'. 3 to 7, inclusive, are corresponding views of variousother fmodiied forms of my invention.

According to the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1, a liquid containedin a chamber or cavity connected to the carriage fills a tube B, inwhich -Works a piston A, rigidly connected to the stationary .frame orplatform by its rod. The .tube B is perforated at in` tervals along ahelical line, for example, with a certain number of oritices'o, thenumber and sectional area of the said orifices being determined bysuitable calculations. At the moment when the recoil commences all theorifices are in front of the piston A, and the compressed liquid in thetube can escape through all the orifices; but in proportion as thecylinder moves backward the number of orifices open tothe liquiddiminishes in front of the pistou, owing to the action of the recoil thetotal area of the outlet thus growing less and less. It" thus becomespossible by regulating the dimensions, number, and position of theorifices o to modify or control the rate or speed of recoil to anydesired degree.

'hen the gun is run out in battery, the

'brake operates` in the same way-that is to say, the total section ofthe outlet, being considerable at the commencement, gradually diminishesto zero, if necessary, to deaden the shock of the carriage on the frameor platform. The pistonA and tube B thus constitute a very simple brake,opposing to the movement of the gun a resistance proportionate to theeffect of the discharge. plitude of the recoil consequently remains thesame for all angles of laying, the said amplitude being dependent solelyon the area, nulnber, and position of the orifices 0. This brake in noway interferes with the handling of the gun in the operations of runningin'or out, and it effectually prevents any sudden running in of thecarriage.

In the foregoing example the tube is moved by the recoil and the pistonis fixed; but this arrangement may be reversed in certain cases, thepiston being movable and the tube stationary, thegresult being evidentlythesame in either arrangement.

The am- It is not necessary for the tube B to be cylindrical. It may beof polygonal, elliptic, or other suitable form in transverse section,the vpiston being of course shaped to fit the interior of the tube.

Several similar brakes may be employed on the same mounting, beingregularly arranged in horizontal, inclined, or even vertical positions.ish the effect o f concussions.

Fig. 2 represents a brake of the same kind in which the piston-rod actsby compression or with a thrusting action. In Fig. 3 the piston-rod actswith a pulling action. In these two examples the piston is providedwith'a rod on one side only, and the apparatus con- -sequently takes upless room. As before,

these pistons may be stationary and the cyliuders or tubes movable.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate modifications in the construction of thebrake; but the principle is the same.

In the arrangement'illustrated in Fig. 4 the tube B is dispensed with,the piston be- In the latter case they serve to dimin- IOO D is forcedout by solid plungers E E, and. drives out a` compensating plunger Fafter.

passing through orifices o, formed in a hollow rod or plunger attachedto the compensating plunger. The number of orifices open to the iowofliquid decreases from the commencement of the movementl as they passto the other side of a partition h, and the area of the passage for theescape of liquid Vis consequently contracted in the rrequired proporf'lhe chambers or cavities D,which may tion. be of any suitable shape,simply require to be provided with tight-fitting guides or stuffingboxesfor the passage of the plungers, and consequently require very littlettin g. Any

. desired number of compressors may be employed, being arranged in themost conven-` ient position, and they maybe fixed or movable, thechambers being movable or fixed accordingly.

Any suitable relation or proportion may exist between the compressorandthe"compen sating plunger. The compensator maybe of annular form, asindicated in Fig. 6, or may partly inclose or surround thecompressingplunger. pensator-tube B in transverse section isa multipleof the area of the plunger. Its stroke is consequently shorter, and itis guided on one hand by a stuffing-box L and on the other hand -on astationary rod J. The liquid in the space between the rod J and thecompressor A is compressed by the recoil, and escapes through theorifices o, which are gradually closed one after the other as thecompressor enters the compensator. The area of the passage for vthe owof liquid also decreases according to `the number, size, and positionvof the orifices and `in proportion to the speed of the recoil.

Fig. 7

is a modification of Vthe arrange- In this case the area of the commentillustrated in 4. A hollow plunger M, perforated with orifices o on itscircumfer- .ence slides through a artition C se aratinfr 7 b p 5 D achamber 'N from a chamber P, being attached to a rod a., for example.The liquid expelled from the chamber P ows through the oriii'ces'o,which pass in succession from one side of the partition C- to the other.The area of the passage for the escape. of the liquid is also diminishedprogressively and in accordance with the number, size, and position of.the orifices o.

I may apply my invention tofield, siege, port., battery, naval, turret,and other mounting for ordnance.

I may employ, according to circumstances, the arrangements illustratedin the annexed drawings, or such others as study and experience maysuggest in accordance with the principle hereinbefore specified. I mayalso employ any suitable metals in the construction of the improvedbrakes, and may vary,l

the forms and dimensions of the accessory parts according to the eect tobe produced. Any suitable liquid may be employed, but preferably aliquid or mixture not liable to congeal.

I claim as my invention- 4 v l. The combination of a piston of ahydraulic brake for controlling the recoil of ordnance with a chambercontaining liquid to be compressed by the recoil of the gun, and aseries of orifices for the escape of the liquid from such chamber, andmeans for closing the orifices one after the other by the movement ofthe recoil, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a piston with a chamber, one for connection to agun and the other to a fixed point, and a chamber containing liquid andthe piston and havinga series of discharge-orifices adapted to be closedone HENRI SCHNEIDER.

Nivitnesses:

CHARLES BRNoY,

